>>Ambulance crews in Bedford****re & Hertford****re are
>>twice as likely to suffer violence at work than the national average
>how are your folks trained to "deal with violence".
This varies between the 30-or-so Ambulance Service NHS Trusts that cover
the
UK.
Our Service is typical. We have a two-day "Managing Aggression" course,
which should be delivered in the first year of service. This is updated
annually at a one-day refresher. The courses are run by Control &
Restraint-qualified trainers, usually from an NHS Mental Health Trust.
(The
top three categories of NHS staff likely to face aggression are 1/ Mental
Health staff, 2/ Ambulance crews, 3/ A&E department staff.)
The course covers recognising the signs of potential aggression,
bodylanguage, defusing difficult situations, and for when all else fails,
"breakaway" techniques. The course also covers a handful of offensive
"Close Proximity Techniques" for use in dire situations.
We are not trained in Control and Restraint, and would be expected to use
breakaway techniques rather than engaging with an aggressor. However, it
is
recognised that due to the close proximity with which we with potential
aggressors, this is not always possible. In these cir***stances, we would
be expected to use the minimum necessary force to deal with the perceived
threat.
Some Services, notably London Ambulance Service NHS Trust, also issue its
staff with personal protective equipment.
Cheers
Blippie
--
Visit the alt.aviation.safety FAQ online at www.blippie.org.uk
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